THE PROPOSED closure of libraries and leisure centres across Wirral has been slammed as the “wholesale slaughter” of vital public services by Wirral West MP Stephen Hesford.

In a stinging letter of rebuke sent to Wirral Council leader Steve Foulkes, Mr Hesford claims that an exercise to improve the use of council land and assets has instead become “little short of an act of corporate vandalism”.

The letter, obtained by the Globe, was sent in advance of a crisis meeting to be held this evening between Wirral’s four Labour MPs and Cllr Foulkes and senior council officers.

Of the closure plans, Mr Hesford writes: “It is impossible to see which of Wirral’s people benefits.”

He is being joined for the 4pm showdown today by fellow MPs Ben Chapman of Wirral South, Frank Field of Birkenhead, and Angela Eagle of Wallasey.

Mr Hesford demanded the face to face talks after it was revealed on the Globe website on Tuesday that the council was planning to close 14 libraries, three leisure centres and the Pacific Road arts venue as part of a highly controversial strategic asset review.

The closures are just part of a plan that would also see community centres and village halls across Wirral stripped of their council staff and funding from as early as March next year.

A stormy meeting of the council’s ruling “cabinet” committee on Thursday, also attended by over 100 protestors, voted to put the plans out to consultation until January 15, when a final decision on the suggested closures will be made.

If the plans are rubber-stamped in the new year, as likely, it would mean the permanent closure of Guinea Gap Pool and Recreation Centre in Seacombe, Grange Road West Sports Centre and Woodchurch Leisure Centre.

Both Birkenhead and Wallasey Central Libaries also face being closed, but will be rehoused in new multi-purpose complexes to be built in their respective towns.

However, community libraries in Hoylake, Pensby, Upton, Irby, Bromborough, Higher Bebington, New Ferry, Seacombe, Wallasey Village, Prenton, Ridgeway and Beechwood all face the axe.

The council claims the drastic measures would save the local authority £3.7m a year in maintenance and staffing costs.

Instead, it plans to invest £20m building or refurbishing eleven mult-purpose centres around the peninsula offering services such as One Stop Shops and healthcare.

In his letter to Cllr Foulkes, a clearly irate Mr Hesford declares: “What appears to be proposed is little short of an act of corporate vandalism.

“I have now had an opportunity to read all the relevant papers, including the report which went to cabinet dated July 9, 2008. It is clear that what set out to be an exercise to ‘improve the use of the council’s land and assets … for the benefit of the people of Wirral’ has become a wholesale slaughter of services. It is impossible to see which of Wirral’s people benefits.”

He adds: “The original report claimed that it set out to ‘improve services’ by matching and disposing of ‘under used and obsolete properties’. Moreover, the report claimed to have ‘no financial complication’; ‘no direct staffing implications’; ‘no direct anti poverty implications’ and ‘no direct Social Inclusion implications’.

“How can the stripping out of libraries and sports centres, particularly from places like Woodchurch, not have any of the implications listed above?

“This whole process has become misconceived and two quite separate considerations have been conflated, namely, the provision of services and the management of buildings.

“In view of this, I will be asking the meeting to seriously reconsider the whole process, and in the future if any asset review is to go ahead, all parties, including MPs, will be involved from an early stage.”

Mr Hesford was unavailable for comment.